Impacts of different forest management methods on the stand spatial structure of a natural Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest in Xiaolongshan, China

Abstract

Stand spatial structure is a significant factor in forest processes that regulates growth and promotes sustainability. Close-to-nature forest management (CNFM), structure-based forest management (SBFM), and secondary forest comprehensive silvicuture (SFCS) are three forest management methods that have been promoted in China; however, how stand spatial structure is impacted by the different forest managements remains unclear. Understanding stand spatial structure characteristics in a forest under different forest managements is critical for forest management. In this study, we analysed and compared the spatial structure characteristics within a natural Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest under CNFM, SBFM, SFCS, and unmanaged control before tending, after tending and four years after tending using the three spatial structure parameters of uniform angle index, mingling, and dominance. Results(1) The SBFM and SFCS produced the random distribution pattern of a stand, and they could maintain a random distribution four years after tending. The SBFM significantly increased the degree of mixing in the forest, and the degree of mixing four years after tending was still significantly higher than before tending. (2) The SBFM was the only forest management method that could significantly reduce the proportion of micro-structures (non-randomly distributed trees with a low degree of mixing and inferior trees with a low degree of mixing) immediately, and the proportion of micro-structures after four years of tending was still significantly lower than before tending. (3) These three forest management methods cannot significantly increase the proportion of micro-structures (randomly distributed trees with a high degree of mixing and dominant trees with a high degree of mixing) immediately, while only when using the SBFM was the proportion of these after four years of tending significantly higher than before tending. ConclusionsCompared with other forest management methods, the SBFM can achieve the goal of optimizing the spatial structure of forests, which is conducive to the growth of trees and the improvement of forest stand productivity.